Nellie Freeman Goes on Trial for Slashing Throat of Husband, July 14, 1926

Charlotte Woman Goes on Trial for Life. . . Fate of Nellie Freeman Will Soon Rest in Hands of Jury Hearing the Case. . . Young Bride Who in a Fit of Jealousy Slashed the Throat of Her Husband, Sits in Charlotte Court Room a Dejected Figure, While Witnesses Tell of Her Tragic Deed—Dead Man’s Mother Star Witness

Charlotte, July 14—Nellie Freeman, charged with slaying her husband, Alton Freeman, by slashing his throat with a razor, went on trial for her life here today.

The entire morning session as devoted to selection of a jury, after which relatives and friends of the dead man were place on the witness stand.

Eight witnesses testified for the state during the afternoon session and repeated the lurid story of the crime while the youthful prisoner sat between attorneys and her mother and listened in apparent nonchalance.

Mrs. Nannine Freeman, mother of the victim, was the first to take the witness stand. She recited details of the married life of her son and described the killing in a strong, straightforward tone. The witness said that on the night her son died she went to his room and found him packing his clothes. She said she asked him if he was “mad at Nellie.”

“Mama, I told you the first time she cussed me I was going to leave her,” the witness quoted her son as saying.

Turning to the events of her son’s death, Mrs. Freeman said she heard him walking rapidly and then he whirled around. Blood was running from his mouth, she testified. She said she got both of her hands to his jaw and asked him if his wife had hit him in the mouth.

“No, mama, she cut me,” she said her son replied.

“With what?” she said she asked him.

“With a razor,” she testified he said.

“I held him until he went down,” she continued. “He was dead in less than 10 minutes.”

Mrs. Freeman stated that Hellie came in about 30 minutes later with Luther, her husband’s brother, holding her. Nellie said that Luther need not hold her, that she would not run off, the witness aid. “Nellie just sat there, never shed a tear, and send she wanted to be punished,” Mrs. Freeman told the court.

Chief Fesperman of the rural police force declared he found the dead man . . . slashed from ear to ear. Testimony will be resumed tomorrow.

From the front page of the Goldsboro News, Thursday morning, July 15, 1926

newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn93064755/1926-07-15/ed-1/seq-1/